The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-07-15
RUINED BY A WOMAN.
ARREST OF A BRITISH NAVAL
OFFICER IN KANSAS CITY.
Robbed His Superior CfIlcer for a
Woman, Who Betrayed
Him at Last.

KANSAS CTy, Mo, July l4.-Will-
lam II. w. Markham, assistant pay.
master OF the British war vessel
Espoir, was arrested today on a charge
OF forging the name Of his superior off,
Ger for amounts sggregstins about
$4,000. The crimes were committed
over q year ago when the vessel was
cruising of the coast Of China. For
some time past Markham, under the
name Of Gayloi, has been acting as
agent at Kansas City for well-known
insurance company. He has been
constantly shadowsd night and day
since June Is, until this morning,
the detectives being unwilling to
arrest him until the extradition pa
srs and all other preliminsries had
been first arranged. Though the cul-
prit's whereabouts has been known
only since June l3, the detectives
have increasingly been tracing him mp,
step by step, ever since the iorgeries
were discovered In the spring OF 1888.
The story Of the long ctaD forms a
marvellous record. Markham left his
ship ostensibly for q vacation aud all
clue to him had been lest before his
misdeeds came to light, and the case
was formally handed over to the scot-
land Yard detectives in London.
Meantime Markham was in Shanghai,
where he was spending money with u
prodigslity worthy Of an East Indian
rsjsh. II was in Shanghai that hs fell
10 with
AM ksIoAs ADVENTURES,
named Gussie Bland, who had jus. ar.
rived f.om San Francisco, travelling as
a Mrs. DeicresL Upon her Markham
lsvlshed nearly everything he had,
and when, soon after, he became
aware that tlicers were searching him
ou', he had barely enough funds to
bring him 10 San Fia1Cifcl. 80 ner.
vous was he on the way over that he
attracted the attention OF q San Fran.
cisco officer who Was on another er-
rand. Had the San Francisco autho :
ities been nolihed, Markham cou d
ca lily have been arrested then, as he
was kept steadily in view for .eyeral
days, but no charges being known
sgsinst him he was allowed to depart.
Gussie returned TO California ON al
most the next tteimer after Mark
ham. She went TO Los Angeles,
but when the British officials
had finally located her they
learned that no one answering Mark
hams description had ever been near
her. Nevertheless her house wa,
watched month all month until by
accident one day de eciiye noticed
the address OF q le,ter mailed 10 one
Of the woman's in,imatea at q
saloon rear by. The handwriting
looked familiar, and comparison with
the photograph oi a signature In .
San FIancifcc hotel regis,ev- showed
the writer 70 be Markham. Gloss OBJ
servation established tho fact tia,
Markham sent frequent bstteIs at the
general delivery In some dstGnt city.
OH ,er5 indisguite thereupon invtiglod
themselves into Mrr. d. forests gTsces
and one night, when champagne
10 oMened her tongue, got her talking
Of
THE sYsTERIous CjRRKsrorDKST.
She rldculed hun mercllessly as a
soft Englishman who had thrown a
fortune on her and was still as iniAtu
ated a. ever, incidentally dropping the
fact that he was then la Kansas City.
Immediately an arrangement was
made by the detectives whereby the
clerk at the pos,oiiice window Ia Kan.
sas City was TO drop q pencil ouiside
the counter as signal when Mark.
ham asked for his mall. 81 confused
did the clerk become that twice he
failed and Markham escaped. The
third time the detective was given the
signal. Markham was Intensely
suspicious, aud had Acqn red
the habit OF starting In the opposite
direction from that In which he In.
tended to 20, and then, suddenly turn.
ing. taking streets going the wrong
way and Jumping oti TO take the one
he wanted, all the time Watching 20
see II he was pursued. In spite oi
theee tactics he wsB shade we'd con-
stantly q month, until today, when
all was ready, the arrest wss made,
/ and tomorrow morning early he will